LEF Moving Image Fund Grantee News
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Image description: In this still image from Lucia Small's film GIRL TALK, a teenage girl in profile with light skin and brown hair looks contemplatively up from from a laptop, while in the middle ground, another teenage girl with light skin and long dark hair looks intently at a laptop.
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The Salem Film Fest (SFF) will take place in a hybrid format from March 23 to April 2. The lineup includes work by prior LEF grantees: Dan Frank (UNDER THE VALLEY), one of the director/producers of NEVER AGAIN PARA NADIE with Justin Reifert and Anna Feder, the curator and manager of the Bright Lights Cinema Series; Margo Guernsey (THE PHILADELPHIA ELEVEN), director of NO TIME TO FAIL with Sara Achambault, former Program Director at LEF; and Milton Guillén (MY SKIN AND I), director of ON THE MOVE with Bassam Khabieh.
A film by prior LEF-grantee Joshua Weissbach (THE PLACE OF BAD NOISES), THIS IS HOW I FELT, will have its European premiere at Dresdner Schmalfilmtage in Dresden, Germany on March 18. The festival will run March 12 to March 19.
A recent episode of HBO's THE LAST OF US was directed by prior LEF grantee Liza Johnson ( RETURN). This episode and others leading up to this week's season finale are available to stream on HBO Max. |
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Are you a LEF grantee or fellow with news to share about your film? |
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Image description: CILECT Logo |
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CILECT North America Conference |
There is a call for proposals for presentations at CILECT North America's upcoming 2023 conference, “The Ethics of Representation: Who Has the Right to Tell the Story?” The conference will take place at Boston University on June 8 and 9.
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The presentations should focus on the ethical challenges and/or best practices involved in telling other people’s stories through cinematic mediums. They can be from the perspective of one’s own creative work or one’s teaching practices, or both. Possible areas of inquiry include, but are not restricted to: screenwriting, documentary filmmaking, producing, casting, and Film and Television Studies. Presentations will be 20 minutes long, followed by a 10-minute Q&A session.
The International Association of Film and Television Schools (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision – CILECT) is committed to developing and promoting the highest standards of education, research and training for film, television and related media.
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Image description: White River Indie Films Logo |
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WRIF Emerging Filmmakers Contest |
White River Indie Films is accepting submissions for their 2023 in-person festival, including short works by emerging filmmakers. In the spirit of fostering connections between local, emerging filmmakers and more established filmmakers, selected shorts will be screened before feature films playing at WRIF.
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All self-identifying “emerging filmmakers” who are residents of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Québec are eligible to submit. To be eligible for this contest, filmmakers must not have screened the submitted work previously at other festivals and are committing to a filmmaking path. Films must be under 15 minutes.
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Upcoming Film Opportunities
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Image Description: SHIFT: Transformative Change & Indigenous Arts Logo |
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SHIFT Open Call (Deadline: March 14) |
Two-year awards totaling $100,000 will be awarded to projects by independent Native artists or Native artist collectives working in the disciplines of dance/choreography, fiction/poetry writing, film/video, multi-disciplinary arts, music, performance art, theater and screenplay writing, traditional arts or 2D + 3D visual arts.
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Image Description: Mass Humanities Logo |
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Expand Massachusetts Stories - Open Track (Deadline: March 20) |
Mass Humanities’ Expand Massachusetts Stories-Open Track grant program offers up to $20,000 for projects that collect, interpret and/or share narratives about the Commonwealth, with an emphasis on the voices and experiences that have gone unrecognized, or have been excluded from public conversation. Potential projects may include short documentary films (15-30 minutes) or digital media projects that present new insights into the lives of Massachusetts residents past or present.
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Image Description: Creative Capital Logo |
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2024 Wild Futures (Deadline: March 31) |
Creative Capital provides unrestricted grants up to $50,000 to individual artists to support the creation of groundbreaking new projects. The 2024 “Wild Futures: Art, Culture, Impact” is open to Visual Arts and Film/Moving Image, including experimental film, short film, animation, documentary film, narrative film, and socially engaged and/or sustainable film/moving image-based practices.
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Image Description: Firelight Media Logo |
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Hulu/Firelight Kindling Fund (Deadline: March 31) |
The Hulu/Firelight Kindling Fund will resource three filmmakers with a $25,000 award to develop an original, non-fiction documentary feature film or limited series for a first look by Firelight Films and the Hulu streaming service. The Fund is open to filmmakers who are alumni of Firelight Media artist programs. Additional filmmakers may apply by invitation only from Firelight.
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Image Description: Jewish Film Institute Logo |
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JFI Completion Grants (Deadline: March 31) |
JFI Completion Grants provide funds to established and emerging filmmakers whose projects expand and evolve the Jewish story. Grants have ranged from $5,000 to $30,000.
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Image Description: International Documentary Association Logo |
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IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund (Deadline: April 4) |
The IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund provides production funds of up to $100,000 to feature-length documentary films in production taking on in-depth explorations of original, telling contemporary-relevant stories, and integrating journalistic practice into the filmmaking process.
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Image Description: Sundance Institute Logo |
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2023 Documentary Fund (Deadline: April 17) |
The Fund celebrates excellence in craft, clarity in vision, and a deep connection to the stories being told, prioritizing productions where the creative and editorial control is held within the core creative team. Applicants may submit at any production phase from development through post-production. All proposals must convey some vision for a finished film.
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Image Description: Assets for Artists Logo |
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A4A Capacity Building Grants for Massachusetts (Deadline: April 17) |
Assets for Artists' Capacity Building Grant Program pairs an unrestricted $3,000 micro-grant with professional development tools for artists to design and build their creative future.
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Image Description: Points North Institute Logo |
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Points North Fellowship (Extended Deadline: April 24)
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The Points North Fellowship invites up to 6 teams of early- and mid-career filmmakers to Maine to accelerate the development of their feature documentary, culminating in the public presentation of works-in-progress at the Points North Pitch. The Fellowship will take place in person in Maine. Anticipated dates are September 11-17, followed by virtual 1:1 industry meetings from September 28 – October 3.
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Image Description: Cucalorus Logo |
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Cucalorus Works-In-Progress Lab (Deadline: April 28)
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The Cucalorus Works-in-Progress (WiP) Lab supports social justice documentaries with a focus on expanding support for projects being directed by Black filmmakers. Co-designed and coordinated by Working Films, participating artists will receive feedback on their work-in-progress and explore audience engagement strategies through workshops, consultations, and community screenings during a residency at Cucalorus’ campus September 24th through Oct 1st, 2023.
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Image Description: Filmmaker Reid Davenport, a man with light skin and long curly brown hair wearing a suit and glasses, holds a Film Independent Spirit Award as he speaks into a microphone from his wheelchair. Producer Keith Wilson, a man with light skin, short brown hair, and a mustache wearing a blazer, blue pants, and a checkered blue scarf, stands off to the side. The screen behind them displays a blurry background of red, pink, and violet. |
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Davenport took the stage and delivered a gracious and pointed acceptance speech, which earned a standing ovation from the audience when he urged the industry to adopt a greater openness to disabled artists and their stories. "There are so many disabled artists trying to get into this industry who have not been given a chance,” Davenport said. “I ask you, humbly, my esteemed colleagues, to let them in. It's time."
The recognition and support of work by disabled filmmakers is a process that begins well before awards are handed out. In his speech, Davenport said his film “was made from 100% grant funding, from people in organizations who see documentary film for what it is: an art form.”
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Thanks for reading and 'til next time,
The LEF New England team
Lyda, Gen, & Matthew
LEF Foundation
PO Box 382066
Cambridge, MA 02238
617.492.5333
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A private family foundation dedicated to the support of contemporary arts, LEF was established in 1985 with offices in Massachusetts and California. The Moving Image Fund was launched in 2001 through the LEF office in Cambridge, MA to support independent film and video artists. Since its inception, the Moving Image Fund has awarded over 400 grants to New England-based independent filmmakers with approximately $4.2 million in funding. The goal of LEF New England is to fund the work of independent documentary film and video artists in the region and to broaden recognition and support for their work locally and nationally. It also supports programs that highlight the rich history and ongoing legacy of innovation within New England's independent film community. The overarching goal of LEF New England's philanthropic investment is to help build a sustainable and strong community of support for artists and their work.
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